HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Industry, academic and nonprofit groups are hoping to bring a national advanced manufacturing hub to Huntsville.

Last month, manufacturing experts from across the country met at the Davidson Center for Space Exploration at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center to discuss a national advanced manufacturing initiative. (The Huntsville Times/Bob Gathany)

During a meeting Monday at the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville-Madison County, dozens of business, academic, government and nonprofit leaders from several Southeastern states began preliminary conversation of how they might utilize the harness the region's capabilities to further innovation, education and economic development.

The entire U.S.
initiative is known as the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation,
was proposed by President Barack Obama and organized by the Advanced
Manufacturing National Program Office (AMNPO) at the National Institute
of Science and Technology. The $1 billion plan is to create 15 centers across the country where states,
cities, companies and colleges can collaborate to apply new
technologies in ways that improve U.S. manufacturing and innovation.

Earlier this month during his State of the Union address, Obama noted that the plan would increase the United States' competitiveness and create jobs. That same week, he began promoting those plans with a multi-city tour. The first step would be creating three more centers this year to join the pilot center created last year in Youngstown, Ohio.

Regions across the country will compete for bids from the Defense and Energy departments to create a center in their area. The public-private partnership would begin with proposals, which expected for this spring. Two will come from the DOD and one from the DOE.

"This is really all about smart factories," Rick Jarman, president and chief executive of the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences -- a nonprofit collaborative manufacturing research consortium -- said at the meeting.

Based on Huntsville and other cities' current manufacturing capabilities, Jarman said he thinks the region could put together a winning bid for any of the three centers proposed. In the coming weeks, a small group will be put together to meet with city officials to begin figuring out how to develop a proposal and raise funds for the multimillion-dollar project.

Mike Ward, vice president of government affairs for the Huntsville-Madison County Chamber of Commerce, said Monday's conversation was only the beginning of the brainstorming. If a broad agency announcement or request for proposal comes in May, applicants might only have 30 days to write a proposal and find funding. That's why they want to start now to gauge the interest in the region and the impact a manufacturing center might have. Funding will come in part from the government agency issuing the BAA or RFP, with matching funds -- or possibly a two-to-one ratio -- coming from the host area's various participants.

“Before I go and ask an industry to put money into this, there has to be a clear understanding what their return on investment is going to be," Ward said in an interview Monday evening. "So what we're doing right now is building the business case to support this.”